Giuseppe Zagottis

Giuseppe Zagottis of Bethel, CT passed away peacefully on September 4, 2018 after a brief but intense battle with cancer. He slipped quietly away at home while his hand was held by his wife of 60 years, Maria. He was 86.

Born on August 9, 1932, Giuseppe was one of three brothers born to Carmine Zagottis and Cristina Saccomanno in Rovito, Cosenza - a small village in Calabria, Italy. Growing up poor during WWII, he apprenticed with a few tailors in the village and in the main town of Cosenza. Eventually he went to Rome to perfect his craft.

He came to America in 1958, but not before marrying the young lady that he grew up with and went to grammar school with, Maria Giovanni Corbo. They wed on November 9, 1958. Thirteen months later, Maria joined him and moved into a small, furnished room together.

Working in clothing factories for Petrocelli and Eagle as well as working Saturdays at a local bakery, they saved their money and in just a few years they bought their first home in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, NY.

In 1970, they moved their young family to Rhode Island where Giuseppe took a shot at the bakery business. He bought his first pizza shop on Main Street in Irvington, NY. With Maria in the kitchen and him out front making pizza, their business began in July of 1971.

Almost one year to the day, the family moved to Danbury, CT where they took over Angelo’s Pizza at 91 South Street (next to the now torn down NeJame building which was also home to DiSorbo’s IGA Food Market.) Customers came from all over the Danbury area as well as dinner calls from Danbury’s old manufacturing factories like Risdon, Davis+Geck, Republic Foil, National Can, to name only a few.

In 1984, Giuseppe (or Joe, as most called him) and Maria built the new Angelo’s Pizza building across from what was then Carvel Ice Cream. Six months short of a full 30 years, they sold the business and retired to their home in Stony Hill in 2001. He spent his time after Angelo’s doing various things that made him very happy including working on the landscaping of his home as well as taking care of the chickens and the ducks. Mostly, he enjoyed working his original passion, tailoring. In his basement workshop, he made clothing and alterations for friends and family on two of the very machines he worked on during his garment district days in New York. Most of all, he loved his family, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Joe is survived by his wife Maria, his son Frank, his daughter Luisa, son-in-law Scott, his grandchildren Kiley, Joseph, Cristina and Anthony, and his great-grandchildren Nicole and Jonathan.

The family will be receiving visitors at Green Funeral Home, 57 Main St., Danbury on Friday, Sept 7 from 5-8pm. Services will be at St. Mary’s Church, 26 Dodgington Rd., Bethel on Saturday Sept 8 at 10am.

PLEASE do not spend money on flowers. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Giuseppe’s name to Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut. They are the angels that gave him incredible dignity and comfort at home during his last days.